deejammin'

We now hold the record for best opening to a season by a reigning premier (in the modern AFL era post 1990, if anyone wants to go back further be my guest). Previous was 8-0 Geelong 2018. We’re now the champions!!

It’s the luck of the draw isn’t it? My frustration is when they’re trying to make a game fit their narrative rather than calling it as they see it. Brown, Buckley and many others tend to just call the game on its merits whereas Underwood, BT and co and many on AFL.com are determined to have it fit into a pre-constructed narrative “Melbourne’s new weakness”, “which players will they lose?”, “they are showing signs of slowing down” “they can’t score high enough” rather than actually calling what’s happening. That’s when I turn it off. Ultimately though it’s just a small annoyance, we’re the undefeated reigning premiers heading into round 10, never thought I’d see the day.

Good post. Interestingly, the comparisons with Brisbane are reasonably favourable, they beat West Coast by 75 at home, us 74 away. Their 105 point win over North will be tough to top (not that it matters), but based on the VFL this week I’d give us a shot. I also agree we bomb a bit too much inside 50 and our forwards don’t seperate enough. But it’s good to have room for improvement after 9-0 with a 74 point win. Helps stop complacency.

Round 18 I think, Geelong’s record is 23 in a row we’re currently 16 in a row. Kelly got a lot wrong today.

Damn?! Really?! He’s very unlucky then, tore that VFL game apart today. I’d have had him or Bedford coming in for Harmes. Interested that others have Laurie, I see Harmes playing more rotating Wing for JJ/mid than HF but maybe I’m wrong.

I turned the commentary off at quarter time. Gives a much more balanced perspective, bizarrely so much of the AFL media are trying to construct negative views of us rather than acknowledge how remarkable what we are doing is. We are the first reigning premiership team in the modern AFL era (1990-, and probably well before but I can’t be arsed going back any further) to go 9-0, that’s incredible!! We’re 5 games + 40 points of percentage inside the top 8, 3 + 35 inside the top four and 2 + 20 inside the top 2. That’s all that matters, we’ll need to play better to win finals, fine, that’s ages away and by then we’ll have Salem back, and a host of VFL players pushing harder than ever for selection. Bring on the haters, we are the best!!

Somehow it wasn’t pretty but we won by 74 points and go two games plus percentage clear inside the top two. Oh and 9-0 is the best start to a season by a reigning premier in the history of the modern AFL!!! Woohoo! The commentators are driving me nuts, the difference between our 74 point win away and Brisbane’s 75 point win at home is shameful. We are the best team in it by a loooong way, stop talking rubbish!

Not a great quarter but just need to restrict their scoring and put a few more on. FWIW our percentage has already surpassed Brisbane’s on the live ladder. Lower opposition scores yield better percentages, keep going boys!

Freo’s next 3: Collingwood, Us, Brisbane. They could still drop to 7th by round 13. 😈😈😈

Woewodin is learning to play the wing beautifully, I assume we’ve been putting him with Ed at training. JVR is a super talent.

They’re in the game just so panicked kicking inside 50, many times now they’ve bombed off one step to no-one when they had far more time!

Good to know that despite their current predicament at AFL level the Roos have some quality talent coming through the VFL 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪

I had often wondered what would happen if an injured or cramping player on the mark hopped when told to stand. There it is. Terrible fifty, no feel for the game, still not a fan of the stand rule when it’s applied like that.

He also reminds me of a young Jack Darling, although he’s a few centimetres taller already, back before Jack put on heaps of bulk and had a few injuries making him a little less mobile he and Van Rooyen moved almost the same way. He’s a real talent, great to be able to give him time to develop and then bring him into a champion team when he’s ready.

Whoops! Sorry guys!

Who’s keeping Tyson out of North’s side? You’d think with their form an experienced in and under mid would go alright? I was sad to see Hore go, he’s got so many good elements to his game, crueller by injury and our plethora of gun defenders. Jake Bell looks pretty good in the ruck, any chance of a sneaky mid-season pick? Dunstan is putting on a clinic!

Dunstan, Tomlinson and Bedford are too good for this level. Beautiful pass by Van Rooyen also. Lots of great stuff going on here. Woewodins ability to give a chop out kick across half back is also brilliant.

Van Rooyen screamer!! Woohoo!

Do these guys on the broadcast not realise the special commentators mic is off? Probably not. Also stop using “chiseling” please! It was stupid enough when BT said it.

Great mark Sam! Looking ominous today! Disco Turner looks like he’s doubled in size since I last saw him! Looking a unit!!

I have this nagging suspicion that one or two will still drop out and either Port, Dogs or GC could still make it. I’m hoping Richmond and Geelong drop out but that could be more a wish than grounded in fact. At the very least the 8 will still be up for grabs for a while yet. Teams like the Pies, GWS and even the bombers (although they were putrid last night, long may it continue) will take games off contenders. Close year. Let’s put a nice big gap on them all by round 15 and then sit back and watch the carnage.

The commentators seem very determined to maintain it though. “St Kilda right in this!” “St Kilda a very good team!” Etc. St Kilda have been putrid so far, no defensive structure and so fumbly and rushed moving forward!

It’d be a bit weird as a mascot though given Tasmania has very few Kangaroos. The only Kangaroo indigenous to Tassieis the Forester Kangaroo and there are sadly very few of these left. Of all the states to have a team called ‘Kangaroos’ Tassie would be the silliest pick.

If we’re trying to protect him from concussion I’m not sure having him play half back and take brave marks in front of key forwards leads who clobber him on the way through is the best way to do it. He tools some rippers in front of the saints forwards last week and copped some nasty hits for his trouble…

Yes, thank you, I wanted to go back and add next racist incident or Indigenous, black and POC as I realised I had made that mistake but you are absolutely right and I apologise for leaving that out. Edit: You might be able to help me, at what point can you no longer edit posts? I had assumed I could go back and fix this after your comment but the edit button is gone on the post. Sorry not very good with tech.